Wang Yinle (R4) poses with parents after hosting families of children with disabilities at his buffet restaurant. [Photo/Fujian Daily]

Three Fujian-born restaurateurs have taken Chinese food to Chile, Saudi Arabia, and New Zealand, adapting menus and business models to local markets while preserving traditional Chinese flavors.

Wang Yinle, from Fuqing, moved to Chile in 2000. While visiting the coastal city of Vina del Mar, he saw long lines at restaurants and decided to open his own. He chose a buffet model, allowing customers to sample dishes such as lychee pork, fried rice noodles, spring rolls, dumplings, and roast duck.

He insists on serving what he calls "100 percent authentic Chinese food". Former Chilean President Gabriel Boric also dined at one of his restaurants and praised the food.

A Shaxian snack shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. [Photo/Fujian Daily]

In Saudi Arabia, Zhang Shichao, a native of Shaxian county, came up with the idea of opening a Shaxian snack shop after missing the flavors of his hometown. He adapted dishes to local tastes while retaining traditional flavors. He now has two outlets in Riyadh, with local people accounting for 70 to 80 percent of customers.

A customer dines at Noodle Canteen. [Photo/Fujian Daily]

In New Zealand, Wang Quanchun, from Yongchun county, has built Noodle Canteen into a chain with 63 outlets. He standardized recipes and operations, reduced the menu from 138 dishes to 28, and built a noodle factory to focus on delivery. He said the business combines traditional Chinese cooking with locally adapted flavors and modern chain-restaurant management.